The tennis community is grieving the deaths of two prominent journalists, John Roberts and Guillermo Salatino, who dedicated decades to covering the sport. Roberts, a longtime correspondent for The Independent, passed away at 84, while Salatino, an Argentine veteran, died at 80 from cardiac arrest. Tributes have poured in from players and peers alike.
John Roberts, born in Stockport in 1941, built a distinguished career in British sports journalism. He began at the Stockport Express and contributed to outlets like the Daily Express, The Guardian, and Daily Mail before joining The Independent at its 1986 launch. As tennis correspondent until his 2006 retirement, he also briefly served as football correspondent in 1990. Roberts died a week before January 18, 2026, at age 84.
Paul Newman, who succeeded him at The Independent, remembered Roberts fondly: "As one of the original team at The Independent, alongside colleagues like Ken Jones, Martin Johnson, and Paddy Barclay, John was one of the journalists who put the newspaper at the forefront of sports journalism." Newman added, "It was a delight to read John’s work. He was a terrific writer. He was wonderfully helpful to colleagues."
Former colleague Nick Harris called him a mentor: "John was a brilliant, meticulous writer, refusing to file a piece containing an imperfect sentence... He was a fine journalist, but, more than that, he was a lovely, funny, kind and gentle man."
Guillermo Salatino, known as "Salata," passed away on January 17, 2026, in Buenos Aires at 80, suffering cardiac arrest ahead of hip surgery. A journalism professor and columnist for CLAY since 2023, he graduated from the Circle of Sports Journalists in 1978 and worked at Radio Continental, Mitre, and La Red. Salatino covered 147 Grand Slams over 48 years and received honors like the 2007 Konex Foundation award, the 2017 Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award—the first for a Latin American—and the 1997 WTA Journalist of the Year.
His admiration for Gabriela Sabatini shone through his work, marked by humor and insightful metaphors. At the Australian Open, Francisco Cerundolo honored him by signing "Gracias Salata" to the camera on Margaret Court Arena. Ben Rothenberg noted on X: "A very nice moment... in honor of the passing of leading Argentine tennis reporter Guillermo Salatino."
Veteran Craig Gabriel added: "Sorry to hear... John Roberts has passed away. Lovely genial person." These losses leave the tennis media diminished, yet their legacies endure through the stories they shared.
